It was the kind of script Texas Tech hoped would never be re-written. The kind of deja vu that turns the stomach.

Regular-season finale against Texas. Overtime again. The Red Raiders haunted by their darkest demons when they hurt the most.

For the second straight season, Tech lost to Texas in overtime inside United Spirit Arena, 71-69, a chance to end a difficult season on a high note wiped away by Julien Lewis’ game-winning jump shot with 1.7 seconds left.

Daylen Robinson’s half-court heave at the buzzer hit the side of the rim, and Tech was left only with the bitter taste that comes with watching your rival celebrate on your home floor.

“It was tough,” Tech forward Jaye Crockett said, “especially with the rivalry between Texas and Texas Tech. We were out there fighting. We had it. We came out with energy. We wanted to send (senior) Ty Nurse out on a good note. It hurts a lot.”

Tech led nearly the entire game. The Red Raiders, who finished the regular season 10-19 and 3-15 in the Big 12, had a 34-17 lead with 5 1/2 minutes to go in the first half — their biggest in Big 12 play all year — only to watch Texas charge back behind Sheldon McClellan and his career-high 27 points.

But each time the Longhorns looked like they were ready to hit the gas and open a lead, Tech fought back, demonstrating a resolve and toughness that this team has lacked much of the season. They played with a tangible passion that Crockett said centered on the team’s desire to create a memorable final game for Nurse, who scored eight points, including seven straight at one point during Tech’s big first half run.

“I want to make sure I say very loudly and publicly that my guys played very hard,” Tech coach Chris Walker said. “We just came up short today and we didn’t complete the task.”

The “what ifs” will be plenty in the days ahead for the Red Raiders, who made just 20 of 37 free throws (54 percent), squandering chance after chance to extend leads in regulation or build one in overtime. They also made just 3 of 16 3-pointers (19 percent). Those inefficiencies have plagued Tech all season, and Saturday was no different.

Feeding off a crowd that was perhaps as loud as it had been all season, the Red Raiders built a 60-52 lead with 4:46 to go when Jamal Williams stole a pass at half court and cruised in for an uncontested dunk.

But Tech hit just 3 of 8 free throws through the rest of regulation with a chance to pad leads. The Red Raiders also were hampered by a devastating turnover with 58 seconds to go. With Tech leading, 64-62, Josh Gray came open under his own basket on an inbounds play for a sure layup that would have put Tech up by four. But it bounced off the freshman’s hands and went out of bounds to the Longhorns.

McClellan nailed a pair of free throws on Texas’ next possession to tie the game. Then, with 15 seconds left, Crockett was fouled but could make only one of the free throws. On the final possession of regulation for the Longhorns, point guard Myck Kabongo appeared to lose the ball with just seconds left, but Gray was whistled for a reaching foul, much to the dismay of the 9,542 on hand.

After missing the first free throw, Kabongo came back after a time out and calmly nailed the second to send the game to overtime.

“To win in this league, you’ve got to make sure you take care of free throws and turnovers and stuff like that,” Nurse said. “I’m still proud of our team. We played hard. It is a tough loss. Sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce your way.”

In the extra session, Tech made just one field and missed 4 of 6 free-throw attempts. Crockett split a pair at the line with 23 seconds left to tie the game at 69.

But after allowing the clock to wind down, Lewis drove to his left, stopped on a dime and rose up to hit the jumper that lifted the Longhorns (15-16, 7-11) to their first two-game winning streak since December.

“Coach (Rick Barnes) wanted us to go one-on-one with one of their with one of their guys,” Lewis said. “I waited until there were five seconds left to not give them any time and see if I could take the best shot I can. I just took my advantage and went at them.”

It wasn’t the first time Lewis, who finished with 15 points, had played the role of villain in this building. Last season in overtime against Tech, he hit a clutch 3-pointer to cut a four-point Red Raider lead to one. Then, following a steal by J’Covan Brown with 12 seconds left, Lewis scored on a go-ahead layup.

The Red Raiders will next play in the Big 12 tournament as the No. 9 seed against eight-seeded West Virginia at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Walker, who has remained relentlessly positive in the face of what can only be labeled a very trying situation this season, emphasized again and again after the game how proud he was of his players, how pleased he was to see with the amount of pride they displayed.

“I told my guys in the locker room before the game,” Walker said, “that when the game is over I want each man to be able to look in the mirror and look his teammates in the eyes and say he gave the maximum effort. Did you leave it all on the floor? Did you exhaust yourself?

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I can't believe I waisted nearly three hours of my day watching this terrible game. Both of the teams are pathetic and neither deserved to win. I hope that some day we will see the Tech teams we watched back in the middle 90's! Good times, good times.

The Horns aren't going anywhere this year and will lose in the Big 12 tourney in the first game probably. But this was a great game and it continues to amaze me how players at this level miss so many free shots....even a 70% shooter can't hit one....frustrating to write the least. That was the difference today for Tech.